There is nothing like that sinking feeling when you are driving along and suddenly the car lurches to one side and you hear that horrid noise made only by a flat tire.
Although many drivers have roadside assistance who will come and fix it, if you cannot contact them it is smart to know how to change a flat yourself and almost everyone can do it.
Firstly pull over into a safe place and if your car is a manual transmission then leave it in gear. Make sure you set the parking brake. Next, turn on your hazard warning lights then get the tools you need out of your car; the jack, wrench and spare tire.
Use the wrench to loosen the lug nuts but just loosen them, don’t take them off. Then check your owner’s manual as to where to place the jack and use it to lift the vehicle up until the tire is around six inches off the ground.
Now remove the lug nuts, put them in a safe place, and pull the tire off. Next, put the spare on the car and put the lug nuts back on, but not too tightly. Lower the car back down and remove the jack. Now you can tighten the lug nuts, but tighten each one a little and then move onto the next, tightening each one several times until they are all done.
Put your flat and tools back in the car and you are set to go.
If you have suffered serious injuries as a result of an auto accident as a pedestrian or while changing a tire, please call our Connecticut I-95 accident attorneys at Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP, at (888) 244-5480 or contact us online today.
